Trust
by Yoroshii Ohtori
Summary: The DDs sensed something strange about the Digimon Emperor. That's when they learned something shocking about Ken & they asked for the older DDs’ help. Will they help Ken? Or will they still treat him with hate and disdain?
1. Something's wrong!

**Title:** Trust

**Author:** Klyukaizer

**Main Character:** Ken Ichijouji

**Genre(s):** Angst/Drama

**Summary: **I suck at summaries but here goes... The DDs sensed something strange about the Digimon Emperor… That's when they learned something shocking about Ken and they asked for the older DDs' help. Will they help Ken? Or will they still treat him with hate and disdain?

**Chapter 1- Something's wrong!**

The tap of the keyboard can be heard as it echoed through the base of the Digimon Emperor. Our view focused behind his throne when suddenly he dropped on his knees and held his head in pain in the middle of his work. "Master!" Wormmon crawled beside him. "What's wrong?"

"My head..." The Digimon Emperor mumbled. "I'll get someone!" Wormmon started crawling away when the emperor suddenly took out his whip and whacked it on Wormmon, which sent him flying to a nearby wall.

"I don't need anyone's help!" he snarled. "Or yours!" and got up with the help of his chair.

"M-Master!" "SILENCE!" and he walked away with a brush of his cape.

* * *

"Give it up, Ken! There's no chance for you to win against us!" Davis smirked confidently. "Hn! Like if I believe that crap!" Ken replied with a grin. "Airdramon! Finish them off!" he pointed. 3 Airdramons went after the DDs as they made a run for it.

"Any more ideas?" Cody asked while running with Digmon. "Let Aquilamon do the job!" Yolei held out her digivice. "Hawkmon!" she called.

"Hawkmon digivolves... to Aquilamon!"

It was like a battlefield out there! Angemon, Angewomon, Ex-veemon and Aquilamon were too weak for Ken's "pets".

Suddenly, he felt a searing pain inside his head again as he grasped his head and fell on his knees. "Master! What's happening to you?" Wormmon comforted again.

"I... don't need... your... help, worm!" he struggled. "M-Master!" Wormmon gasped.

"Look!" Kari pointed to Ken. "What's happening to him?" T.K. asked. "This is our chance, guys!" Davis said. "Right!" they said in unison.

"Attack!" Davis screamed when suddenly, Ken's fleet of Digimon started walking away from them. Davis sweat dropped as he approached his other fellow DDs. "What was that all about?" he asked confusedly.

"We are as confused as you are, Davis!" Yolei scratched her head.

* * *

Cody looked up in the sky as the birds flew by. T.K. noticed something wring with him so he approached him and sat on the grass beside him. "Is the Digimon Emperor falling apart?" Cody suddenly asked. "Eh?" T.K. almost jumped. "Did he finally realize what he did was wrong? He couldn't have just retreated like that!" Cody continued.

"I don't think so, Cody!" T.K. said as he rested chin on his hand. "T.K.'s right! Something is wrong with Ken, not the Digimon Emperor!" Kari agreed as she joined them.

"What do you guys think shall we do?" T.K. asked. "I say we attack his base and held him hostage!" Yolei said from afar, over-hearing their discussion. "The Digimon Emperor can't be caught that easily!" Davis for once made an intelligent remark. "Well, what do you think shall we do, smarty-pants?" Yolei mocked.

"I say..." Davis paused and everyone looked at him. "...We attack his base and have him hostage." Everybody face faulted. "Baka!" Yolei mumbled.

"What's wrong with him? I didn't know the Digimon Emperor has any sign of weaknesses!" Cody sighed nervously. "I think we should definitely investigate this matter or it'll become worst!" he predicted.

"You're right, Cody! We must find out! Something... is definitely wrong here!"

* * *

"You can't go to school, honey! We want you to stay at home!" his mother cared. "I'm not a kid, mom!" Ken argued. "Please! You must stay!" his mom insisted.

"No!" Ken growled and was going to leave their apartment when someone grabbed his back collar and pulled him back. "You're NOT going out!" It was his father. He pulled Ken forcibly which sent Ken falling to the ground slamming his head on the floor.

Ken screamed as the pain inside his head returned again. "Ken!" Both his parents kneeled beside him. "I'm sorry, son! I- I didn't mean to!" His father blurted.

Ken's eyes suddenly turned white and his mouth parted the next thing he knew he fell into a seizure.

* * *

"What do you think you have done? Haven't you heard what the doctor said?" Ken's mom scolded at Ken's father on the hospital lobby. "I didn't do it on purpose and besides, at least I prevented him from being hurt furthermore!" his father argued.

"Prevented? Have you lost your mind? You just led him into BEING HURT!" his mother screamed.

"Stop blaming it all on me!"

"Of course I'll blame it all one you!"

"Please... the both of you, stop!" The both of them looked at a doctor standing right beside Ken's hospital room. "Dr. Frank, how is he? Will Ken be okay?" her mom started asking.

Dr. Frank dropped his head and faced away. "It's positive... he has the disease!"

* * *

2 weeks... the Digital World has been peaceful. There were no signs for the Digimon Emperor and the DDs were getting suspicious; even the older DDs.

"Don't tell me he disappeared again!" Tai sighed out loud. "Well, It's good he is... I mean, he caused enough calamities in the digital world and it's good that it all stopped but... I'm not so sure if I'll be happy about his disappearance!"

"Tai's right..." Sora nodded. "I'm sure he didn't run away! It would be all over the news by now if he did!" Izzy concluded.

"Well... Yolei and I went to their apartment last night and no one seems to be home!" T.K. announced. "That's odd... Where do you think the Ichijouji family are?" Izzy wondered.

"A vacation is certainly NOT a good excuse!" Matt crossed his arms. Suddenly, Kari's cell phone began to ring. "Hello?" she answered. "Yeah... Sure! Okay! Tai and I will be there in 5 minutes!" she hanged up. "Mom wants us to pick her up in the hospital, she was visiting a friend and has been there since this morning! She doesn't want to come home alone!" she explained as she grabbed her backpack.

"Well... see you guys later! We'll talk about this some other time!" Tai waved as the 2 siblings left Izzy's room.

* * *

"8th floor!!!" Tai exclaimed. "Yeah..." Kari answered as she stared at the screen of her cell phone. "Aw, man! Can't we just take the elevator?" he complained as he grabbed the rails. "No, we have to walk! You won't know when some emergency will strike!" Kari giggled as he looked at his tired brother. "Kari!!!"

"No..." Kari snapped. "Sisters..." he muttered. It took them only a short time to reach the 8th floor but Tai's legs were already trembling. "Next time... I'm... not hesitating... in taking... the elevator!" he panted.

Suddenly, both of their eyes caught something that got their attention. A raven-haired boy was rushed to the emergency room in haste. "Sou na!" Kari gasped. "Masaka..." Tai exclaimed. "That's..."

"...Ken!"

~TBC~


	2. The fall of the Digimon Emperor!

**Title:** Trust

**Author:** Klyukaizer

**Main Character:** Ken Ichijouji

**Genre(s):** Angst/Drama

**Summary: **I suck at summaries but here goes... The DDs sensed something strange about the Digimon Emperor… That's when they learned something shocking about Ken and they asked for the older DDs' help. Will they help Ken? Or will they still treat him with hate and disdain?

**Chapter 2- The fall of the Digimon Emperor!**

"Let's follow him!" Tai signaled and Kari nodded. "There you are!" they both turned around to see their mother. "We'll be there in 5 minutes? It sure took you a long time!" she pouted.

"Um... you see-"

"I want to go home! I'm very tired!" she said as she started to leave. "But, mom-" Kari started when her mother argued, "Let's go!"

"But-" Tai started. "I said, Let's go!" They had nothing else to do but gave up and followed their mother. "Hai..."

* * *

"Something really DID happen to him! He was rushed in the emergency room!" Tai panicked. "Are you sure?" Joe asked. "Being brought in the emergency room is sometimes not that bad!" he said. "Unless if you're brought to the O.R. or the I.C.U." Joe explained. "Can you say that in English?" Tai complained.

"The Operating room or the Intensive Care Unit, understand?" Joe mocked. "Oh..." Tai nodded. "No!" he smiled. Joe sighed out loud. "Well, we can't just leave this situation like this! We must make sure it was him, or not!" Izzy said.

"Right! And we will be the ones to go!" Davis offered.

* * *

"I don't think our son will be the same anymore!" Ken's father suddenly said when they were staring outside the window. "What do you think shall we do?" His mother asked.

"Maybe... we should've spent more time with him... We could've known of this disease sooner and was able to stop it in time!" he sighed. "I guess we should've! It's too late now!" his mother started to cry and his father embraced her.

"Excuse me..." they both turned around to face 5 kids. "We know you are Ken's parents! We're friends of Ken's and we are here to visit him! Can we see him right now?" a little brunet girl asked. "And you all are?" Ken's mother asked.

"Davis, T.K., Yolei, Cody and I'm Kari!" Kari pointed. "Oh... I didn't know Ken had friends at all!" his mother said. "Really?" Davis exclaimed. "Bummer..." he muttered.

"Ken! Where is he?" a nurse suddenly shrieked. "What the-" his father gasped. Both of Ken's parents and the DDs quickly ran to Ken's room when they saw the bed empty! There was no sign of Ken at all. _Ken! Where have you run off? _Cody thought as a small computer can be found on the bedside table.

* * *

_I don't want to be weak! I must be strong! For me... for my pride... and for Sam!_ Ken struggled as he slowly walked through the desert under the heat of the burning sun. Finally, he reached his base where Wormmon greeted him alone.

"Master! You came back!" Wormmon's eyes were filled with tears. "Of course I will, you fool-" Ken smirked. "No! Master, you must run away!"

"What?" "The base! The base is under attack!" Wormmon stuttered. "What do you mean under attack?" Ken yelled. "By wild Digimons! You must run away!"

"I'm not leaving until you explain everything!" Ken insisted. "No, you must-" Wormmon fell to the ground. "Wormmon!" Ken yelled as a Gabumon, Palmon and Gomamon came out. "You are the older DDs partner Digimons!" Ken exclaimed.

"Maybe… maybe not!" Palmon sneered. "Poison Ivy!" The next thing Ken knew something hit him from the back and everything went black.

* * *

He was tied to his back and his mouth was gagged of what seemed to be a vine. (Eeeww…) Anyway, he was in some sort of dungeon where light can be found and Wormmon was beside him. He mumbled under his gagged breath "Wormmon" but Wormmon seemed to be too weak to wake up just yet. _Useless Digimon!_ He thought.

"The Digimon Emperor is finally awake!" 5 Digimons stood in front of him. Now, Gotsumon and Vegitamamon (Is that the right spelling?) joined Gabumon, Palmon and Gomamon.

Ken gave them all despising looks and glanced at Wormmon. "Ah… you're probably wondering why we didn't tie him up! You see, we don't think he can do so much being JUST a worm!" Vegitamamon mocked. "Humph!" Ken snorted.

"Laugh all you want, Digimon Emperor! You shall pay for the sins that you have committed!" they laughed as Ken's eyes widened.

* * *

Ken's mother has been crying since he disappeared from sight. Davis and the others wanted to tell her it's all right, but they took no chances of revealing their secret.

"I'm sure he's in his base right now creating some other experiment again! He's so persistent!" T.K. cursed. "Got it!" Kari suddenly cheered looking up from her D-Terminal. "I found a gate right beside his base!"

"What are we waiting for? Let's go!" Davis said. "Wait!" Cody stopped. "Don't you think we should ask for Tai and the others' help? After all, this IS the final battle among the DDs and the Digimon Emperor!"

"You're right! We can't risk this opportunity!" Davis agreed. "Let's go ask them!"

* * *

"I'll bring a First-aid kit just in case anyone gets hurt!" Joe said. "Relax, Joe! He can't hurt us that badly!" Davis smiled proudly. "Um… I'm talking about our Digimons!" Joe sighed.

"Well, the gate is ready!" Matt said. "The usual, I'll stand by here if anything happens!" Izzy offered. "Hai!" Tai nodded as he stood behind Kari. "Ikou!"

"Digi-gate! Open!"

* * *

Ken's breathing was faster than usual as blood oozed out from his head. "Had enough?" Gabumon smirked. _Kuso!_ Ken thought. His thoughts were interrupted when he heard a soft moan and looked beside him. Wormmon struggled to sit upright or stand. _Wormmon!_ He thought.

"Well, look who's finally up!" Gotsumon sneered as he kicked Wormmon to a nearby wall. Ken struggled but stopped when a wince of pain shot him in his right arm.

"Say 'bye-bye' little worm!" Vegitamamon laughed and hit Wormmon with his "spiked paws" (Don't know how to call those! ^_^ Gomene…) and Ken's eyes widened. Wormmon was slowly dissolving into data as Ken's eyes were filled with tears.

"WORMMON!" he screamed even though there was a gag in his mouth and the intolerable pain running through his body. Suddenly, a bright light shone right beside his chest and a crest appeared. The Crest of Kindness!

Wormmon's dissolving stopped and he returned to his original form and started to Digivolve. "Wormmon digivolve to… Stingmon!"

"Spiking strike!" With one hit for each, the 5 Digimons disappeared to data. _Wormmon!_ Stingmon dedigivolved back to Wormmon and lay on the ground. He was able to rub the gag off his mouth and dragged himself to Wormmon's body. "Wormmon!"

"Mas- ter…" Wormmon whispered. "Wormmon, hang in there!" Ken cried. "I… I failed you, master!"

"Stop calling me 'master'! I don't ever want to hear you say that, okay?" "I… I'm… sorry!"

"For what?" Ken asked. "For being… a nuisance in your life!"

"…" This time, Wormmon really DID start to dissolve to data, this time; no one can stop it. "Wormmon! Don't leave me!"

"I knew… from the… beginning… that you were… a kind per- son… Ken!" Wormmon whispered. "That is your crest… keep it… keep the Crest of Kindness!" Wormmon said quickly and disappeared. Ken's eyes widened with fear as he faced the same fate he once did when Sam died. _No… NOOO!_ He dropped his head as a tear stroked down to his cheek. He heard slow footsteps and Ken found that he was stared at by 10 DDs (Mimi and Izzy not included)

"Ken…" Kari gasped as he looked at Ken's condition. "Where did Wormmon go?" Sora trembled. "DAMN YOU, DIGIDESTINES!" Ken yelled as he stood up and gave them a cold and angry stare. "It was because of your Digimons that killed him!"

"What are you talking about?" Joe stuttered.

"Gomamon, Palmon and Gabumon were there! They attacked us! They KILLED WORMMON!" Ken yelled at the top of his lungs as tears escaped from his eyes.

"No, Ken! They're not our Digimon!"

"Shut up!" Ken yelled as Joe went closer to him. "Ken, please calm down!" Matt comforted.

"No!" Ken argued as he backed away; hands still tied to his back. "Ken… let us treat your wounds!" Joe offered. "You bunch of cowards!" Ken dropped his head. He suddenly felt the pain in his head again. Before Ken fell into Joe's arms, his Emperor costume dissolved and he was back to his school uniform again.

"Ken!"

~ TBC ~


	3. One of us!

**Title:** Trust

**Author:** Klyukaizer

**Main Character:** Ken Ichijouji

**Genre(s):** Angst/Drama

**Summary: **I suck at summaries but here goes... The DDs sensed something strange about the Digimon Emperor… That's when they learned something shocking about Ken and they asked for the older DDs' help. Will they help Ken? Or will they still treat him with hate and disdain?

**Chapter 3- One of us!**

"It's not the end just yet, Kenny!" Sam smiled. "It was just a game, right?"

"I… I guess so!" Little Ken pouted. "Let's play some other time, why don't we do something else today?" Sam smiled some more.

"Like what?"

"Blowing bubbles?" Little Ken wondered. "Yeah! I got this idea when my teacher made a discussion this morning about chemicals! Try it!" Sam handed Ken a small cup. "Okay… I'm not very good with this!" Ken blew as hard as he could and a huge bubble came out from the hole.

"Wow! That's so big!" Ken cheered. "At least you beated me in something!" Sam said. "Eh?" Ken wondered what he meant. "I could never blow a bubble as big as that!"

"???" Ken blinked but then smiled. "Arigatou, onii-san!"

Sam flew into the air and his eyes turned white as a truck hit him. He landed on the floor as one of his shoes fell off.

"Sam?" Little Ken cried as he knelt down beside his brother's corpse. "Sam… Why won't you open your eyes?" Ken touched his cheeks. "Sam! Sam!"

"Wake up! Sam, you mustn't die!" Little Ken sobbed madly as the Older Ken stood behind him in oblivion. He had nothing to do but look and let time repeat itself… this time; it was Wormmon's view what he saw now.

"No! It's happening again! It's happening again!" Ken trembled in fear as he grasped his head. "Stay away! Stay away from me!"

"NO!" Ken winced as a pain ran through his arm. "Hey, hey! Don't move so much yet!" He saw Joe approach him. "You! Why are you here?" Ken demanded. "What? No 'thank you'? I was the one who treated your wounds, Ken!" Joe said as Ken blushed in embarrassment. "Thank… you!" he mumbled. He looked around and found himself in bandages and he was sitting on a sleeping bag inside a tent.

"You're welcome!" Joe smiled. "Why did you bother?" Ken softly said.

"Eh?" "Why did you bother doing all of this for me?" Ken asked. "Um… I don't know!" Joe scratched his head. "Maybe because… you are one of us, Ken!" Joe handed him a pink crest. _The… The Crest of Kindness!_ Ken thought_. "I knew… from the… beginning… that you were… a kind per- son… Ken! That is your crest… keep it… keep the Crest of Kindness!"_

The memory of Wormmon made Ken uneasy as he stared at the crest sadly. "I… I can't accept it!" Ken looked away. "Why? This is your crest… you **must** accept it!"

"I just **can't**, okay?" Ken half-shouted and Joe jumped. "I'm sorry… I just can't!" Ken shook his head.

"Joe! The fishes are ready!" Came a yell outside the huge tent, it was Davis. "Bring it here!" Joe requested. "Hai!" Davis came inside the tent and got 4 fishes with some berries and some juice. "Ohayou, Ken-chan!" he greeted. "…"

"Well… call us if you need anything more, okay? All of us are just sitting by the fire!" Davis explained and ran off. "Is that really the person behind the bearer of Courage?" Ken suddenly asked.

"Actually, Davis can sometimes be dull and clumsy!" Joe said. "I heard that!" Davis called. "But… he has a good heart when it comes to protecting the one he loves!" Joe ignored Davis' comment. "A natural born leader! Just like Tai!"

"You mean, Yagami-san?" Ken asked and Joe nodded. "Davis was very rude to you was he?" Joe didn't even bother waiting for Ken's answer. "Well… he acts that way at the face of his enemy! Just like Tai!"

"Sou desu ka?" Ken muttered and looked at his palms. Joe slowly laid the Crest of Kindness on Ken's palms as Ken looked up at him. "You are one of us now!" he smiled as the other DDs slowly came inside the tent.

Ken just looked at everyone as they all exchanged looks. Sora, Kari and Yolei looked down recalling about Wormmon's death. Tai, Matt and Davis' eyes were full of guilt, and T.K. and Cody's eyes were full of doubt.

"I'm not one of you yet!" Ken said which made the others look at him. "This is happening too fast! And I'm sure everyone agrees with me! You don't trust me yet and I don't trust you yet, either!" Ken handed the Crest of Kindness to Tai.

"I'll take it back when you're fully ready to accept me!" Ken, for once, smiled which made everyone smile as well, except for Cody.

The DDs decided to sleep in the Digital World that night to give Ken some time to recover and they asked Izzy to make excuses for their parents. They were supposed to engage a conversation about Ken but ended up talking about something else and Ken was left to wander around his mind. _Wormmon…_

"Ken?" Ken looked up to see Joe smiling at him. "What seems to be bothering you?" "It's… It's nothing!" Ken mumbled. "Then, there's something I've been wanting to ask you…" Joe said. "What is it?" Ken asked as Joe heisted for a moment.

"What's wrong with your health?" Joe said as Ken's eyes widened and everybody became silent. Ken looked away. "I wanted to know that too… We saw you in the hospital Ken!" Kari said and Ken looked at her.

"We just want to help! If you don't want to tell us… it's fine with us! Like you said, you don't trust us yet, right?" Sora made a point. "We're not forcing you to tell us or n-"

"I'm dying…" Ken interrupted, this made everyone's eyes widen in shock. "What? For a minute there I thought you said you were dying!" Davis joked.

"I'm dying…" Ken repeated and Davis fell silent. "I only have 2 more months to live!" "Why?" Joe asked.

_[In Ken's house after the Digimon Emperor's fleet retreated from the DDs]_

_Dr. Frank was just outside Ken's door having a conversation with Ken's parents. Ken was peacefully sleeping on his bed but was awaken by the conversation of the doctor and his parents. The door was slightly open so he looked down from above his bed._

_"It's unexplainable but it seems this far too much than just any head ache!" he heard Dr. Frank said. "What do you mean?" his mother bellowed._

_"This disease happened in America once and it is very rare! It's a brain cancer where the virus slowly penetrates or feeds from the brain itself!"_

_"Oh my god! What're we going to do?" his mom cried. "Is there anything you can do to help us?" his father asked._

_"Don't worry, we are not sure if this is really the dangerous disease! This is just a precaution!" Dr. Frank paused. "But I'll tell you, anyway! There're common signs to this disease: 1- Ken will no longer feel his body parts or sometimes have serious headaches! 2- He will have seizures and faints a lot of times! And 3- He will fall into a coma!"_

_Ken knew that his mother was about to faint, but he was sure that his father was holding her tight. "If this signs continue to go on for the next 2 months..." Dr. Frank looked away and didn't bother continuing his sentence. "No... " his mother burst into tears._

_Ken was definitely shocked to this and his eyes suddenly widened with fear. He faced away to the other side of his bed and buried his head with his blanket as tiny sobs escaped his mouth. "Don't worry... this is still just a precaution!" Dr. Frank cheered up, but it was of no use. "Ken?" his mother came in his room._

_"Leave me alone!" Ken half-shouted. "But, Ken-"_

_"I said, LEAVE ME ALONE!" he screamed as his mother gasped and started to leave his room. "K'so!" he cursed. "KUSO!"_

"This was the 2nd seizure… Probably by the next time it happens again… I won't ever wake up!" Ken muttered.

"But… there's a cure to it, right?" Yolei asked anxiously. Ken nodded and everyone sighed in relief. "Hemisphere Actemy!" Ken said and Joe was the only one who gasped. "What? What do you mean by that, Joe?" Tai asked.

"It means… removing a part of his brain! The part where the virus has infected!" Joe explained. This seemed to be a very big shock to everyone. "Dr. Frank hadn't thought of this yet… I just did a little research on my own!" Ken said. "And I'm ready for it! Thankfully, the virus has only infected the Right Hemisphere of my brain!"

"Why are you thankful about that?" Davis yelled. "Because the Left Hemisphere is the part of the Cerebrum where the main memory is stored! The left is the one with the Logic and Language skill and the right with Music and Arts!" Joe explained. "It may be useless for some people but every part is important!"

"I am willing to take any challenge!" Ken said. "Ken, this isn't just a mere challenge! This is a life-and-death basis!" Matt argued. "And so be it! This is what I called 'fate'! If God wants to punish me for the things that I've done! Then I'm sure death would be my punishment!" Ken laid his hand on his chest.

"Why are you saying all of these things, Ken?" Cody mocked. "You sound like your world has come to an end!" Cody paused. "You're overreacting!" 

"Cody!" Kari scolded. "I don't care if I'm overreacting, Hidaka!" Ken said bravely. "This is how I value life!"

"I don't think you **do** value life! Those Digimons you slaughtered pointlessly? You call that 'value'? I call that 'heartless'!" Cody yelled and stood up. "You are unforgivable, Ichijouji!" Cody said as he left the tent.

"Ken, don't listen to him! He's just confused about the things that has been going on!" T.K. said. "No… Cody's right!" Ken said finally using 'Cody'. "I **am** heartless!"

~ TBC ~


	4. Cease to exist!

**Title:** Trust

**Author:** Klyukaizer

**Main Character:** Ken Ichijouji

**Genre(s):** Angst/Drama

**Summary: **I suck at summaries but here goes... The DDs sensed something strange about the Digimon Emperor… That's when they learned something shocking about Ken and they asked for the older DDs' help. Will they help Ken? Or will they still treat him with hate and disdain?

**Chapter 4- Cease to exist!**

Ken was staring above the tent as his eyes turned hollow black. He was sweating so much but he felt cold. His chest slowly rises and falls by his slow breathing.

 "Ken, are you awake?" It was Kari. "Um… yeah! Couldn't… sleep!" Ken panted weakly. "I was awoken by your panting, are you okay?" Kari asked. "Y- yeah…" Ken lied. "Is… there… anything you want… to ask… me?"

"Um… I wanted to tell you something!" Kari smiled. "Go on!" Ken said. "While I was in face-to-face with the Dark Ocean-" "You've been the Dark Ocean?" Ken almost yelled. "Um… I was teleported there suddenly! I didn't mean to go there!" Kari explained.

"Anyway, I felt something deep inside of me… Fear? I think so… Fear of dying, knowing disappear sooner or later! That's when T.K. rescued me!" she smiled. "What I wanted to ask is… How does it feel knowing you would disappear?"

Ken didn't answer that and continued to stare above. "Ken?" Kari sat upright. "Nothing…" Ken answered. "Eh?" Kari wondered. "I feel nothing…"

"What do you mean?" Kari asked. "I'm not scared! Maybe I feel angry… but I'm not scared!" Ken shook his head. "Huh? You're angry over what?"

Ken slowly sat upright and looked at Kari. "I have a brother who was always perfect, he's good in sports, in school, in music and arts! He was good in everything! He was always the perfect brother to me!" Ken smiled. "Ken… what do you mean by 'was'"?

"He's dead… 5 years ago, he's existence was ceased by a car accident!" Ken dropped his head as Kari looked away. "It was all my fault!" "Why? Why do you say that?"

"Because it really is… I wished for him to disappear and he did! It was my fault that he died!" Ken started to cry. "I wanted to be strong… Strong like him! I'm not going to be scared! Not even death!" Ken frowned.

Joe woke up early in the morning to find 4 sleeping beds empty. Kari's, Yolei's, Sora's and… _Ken!_ He quickly got up from bed and rushed outside.

He looked around and found only Sora, Kari and Yolei by the fire, cooking breakfast. No sign of Ken…

"Ah! Joe! You're awake!" Sora called. "Yeah… Where's Ken?" Joe answered. "A-re? We don't know!" Yolei said. "Why don't you try looking over the lake? I think I saw something there when we came out!" Kari suggested. "Arigatou!" Joe said and he ran off.

"Ken! Doko ni?" Joe called. He looked around but caught something in a glance. _Raven hair?_ It was Ken. He was sitting under the tree; his back softly lay. It seems that he was asleep. "Ken?" Joe called as he looked at Ken's face. Joe had to admit, he looks like an angel when he sleeps. His head was crooked over his right shoulder and his hair covered his left eye and cheek.

_How could a kind boy like him turn to be an evil person?_ Joe thought. He remembered the conversation with Kari and Ken that he overheard last night.

_"I have a brother who was always perfect, he's good in sports, in school, in music and arts! He was good in everything! He was always the perfect brother to me!" _

_"Ken… what do you mean by 'was'"?_

_"He's dead… 5 years ago, he's existence was ceased by a car accident! It was all my fault!"_

_"Why? Why do you say that?"_

_"Because it really is… I wished for him to disappear and he did! It was my fault that he died! I wanted to be strong… Strong like him! I'm not going to be scared! Not even death!"_

_He was just confused all along! Maybe… he really isn't the person we thought he is! Maybe he is just normal Ken Ichijouji!_ Joe thought when he suddenly heard a soft moan. Ken started waking up and rubbed his eyes, that's when he saw Joe.

"Ohayou! I didn't know you slept here too!" Ken said innocently. "No… I just got here!" Joe replied with a wave. "I… I'm sorry to make you worry… it's just that, I like sleeping by a tree! I wanted to climb up, but…" Ken looked at himself. He was bandaged almost in every part of his body.

"It's good you followed the instincts of your health, now come on! We need to get you back the tent!" Joe said as he laid Ken's left arm over his shoulder. "Can you walk?" Joe asked. "Of course, I can! How did you think I got here in the first place?" Ken said. "With a cane!" Joe joked and laughed.

"Hey! How did you know?" Ken smiled. "Doctor's intuition! Let's go!" Joe smiled back.

"Thank you for bringing him back!" Ken's mother thanked all the DDs while in the living room. "We don't know how to repay you!" "You all truly **are** his friends!" Ken's father said.

"What do you mean by truly his friends? Doesn't Ken have any in school?" Davis asked tactlessly and received a shove from Yolei. "Only a few of them truly are… most of them are mere acquaintances!" His mother explained. "Sometimes, they use him for his intelligence… and if they got they wanted! They leave Ken alone!"

"That's so cruel!" Kari muttered. "Don't worry, Mrs. Ichijouji! We won't ever leave him!" Tai said standing up. "Mr. and Mrs. Ichijouji, I would like to ask a simple request!" Joe suddenly interrupted. "What is it?" Ken's mother asked.

"I would like to ask permission to visit Ken once or twice a week! I may still be a college student and not a professional doctor but I would like to help you in any way!" Joe explained. "It is fine with us! It would be a great honor to have a guest at home and a friend as well…" Ken's father agreed. "Thank you very much!" Joe bowed.

"Ken?" Joe came inside Ken's dim-lighted room. "Ken, where are you?" Joe searched. "Over here…" Ken came out from the bathroom. "So… what did they say?" Ken asked.

"They said 'yes'! I'll be visiting you every Wednesdays and Saturdays." Joe said. "Yeah! Sure!" Ken nodded. "Where're the others?" "They went home… except for Tai and Kari. They're still talking with your parents!"

"Oh…" Ken sighed. "What's the matter?" Joe asked. Ken hesitated for a moment, but knowing he can trust Joe. He told the truth. "I miss Wormmon!" Ken said and Joe didn't reply.

"We're sorry this had to happen!" Joe mumbled. "No… I said a lot of harsh things to all of you, Digidestines! I know it's not your fault!" Ken dropped his head. "I… I just wanted to escape from the pain and I used you to be blamed at!" Ken's eyes were covered by his bangs as he bowed down in front of Joe. "Hontou ni gomene…"

"No… you don't need to apologize! We know how you feel! Since…" Joe laid his hand on his chest. "We love our best friends too!" And he smiled. Ken looked up and smiled back at Joe. "Thanks, Joe!"

"Now, I need to give you a check-up please!" Joe took out his bag. "Wow! You sound so much like a doctor now!" Ken chuckled. "Don't tease…" Joe said. "At least I have personal experience!" he paused. He laid a large blanket on the floor. "Please lie down here…" Joe said.

"Can't I use my bed?" Ken asked. "It's all the way up there! I can't climb the stairs for too long! I might fall off!" Joe said. "You mean this is not any ordinary check-up?" Ken asked. "Nope! Now, please…" Joe offered. "Okay…" Ken agreed and laid down the blanket. He looked up and found Joe staring back at him. He blushed for a moment then closed his eyes.

"Does this hurt?" Joe asked as he rubbed Ken's back head on the right side. "Yeah… that part!" Ken concluded. "Well, as long as you don't let your head hit on something at least it won't worsen!" Joe suggested. "Hai!" Ken followed. "Okay… now lie back down!"

"You know this is better than Dr. Frank's check-up!" Ken suddenly said lying back down. "Eh?" Joe wondered. "He forces me to take brain x-rays and stuff…" he snorted. "I thought radiation isn't good for cancers!"

"It depends on what kind… some doctors use the radiation in curing for diseases like Leukemia!" Joe said. "You sure?" Ken asked. "Yeah…" Joe nodded. "I see…" Ken sighed.

"You seem disturbed, would you like to tell me about it?" Joe asked. "Well, I'm just… confused!" Ken said. "About what?" Joe wondered. "What am I going to do when I'm finally facing death?"

"Ken…"

"I don't know what to think… I don't know what to do…" Ken paused. "I don't want to die anymore!" he told Joe. "I'll miss my parents… Wormmon…" he paused. "…And all of you!" There was sadness and pain in his eyes and on the tone of his voice. Joe knew that Ken wasn't lying and so he held Ken's hand. "I'll tell you what to do!"

"Okay…" Ken agreed as he looked into Joe's determined eyes. "If you feel like dying… struggle to be alive! Never give up! A lot of people will be sad when you are going to disappear! You **mustn't** give up! Stay strong!" Joe said.

"Stay strong…" Ken smiled. "I promise I'll stay strong, Joe! I promise! Thanks a lot!"

"Hey! What are friends for?" Joe smiled back. Suddenly, something beeped from Joe's bag. He approached it and took out his beeper. "What is it?" Ken asked. "Come to my house when you're done with Ken's check-up!" Joe read out loud. "From Tai!"

"Want to come along?" Joe asked. "Is it okay?" Ken hesitated. "I'm sure it's okay! You're one of us now!"

"We've talked to his parents… he seemed to be a kind kid!" Tai crossed his arms. "I don't know, Tai! I still don't trust him that much yet!" Matt laid his hands behind his head. "More investigation?" Cody asked.

"What do you mean 'investigation'? Are you saying that after all the things that happened to him, you are still acting this way?" Kari scolded Cody. "I didn't want to be his friend in the first place, Kari!" Cody argued.

"Quiet you two!" Tai yelled. "Sorry…" They both apologized. "Now…" Tai took out the Crest of Kindness from his pocket as a bang of the door can be heard from outside. "He is the bearer of Kindness and we need his power! If any of you don't want to be his friend, fine! We can just use him in battle! He can help us with his crest! No one can use it except him…" Tai concluded. They heard a loud thump by the door and that's when they saw Joe and Ken by the door. Joe looking worried and Ken looking awe-struck.

"Ken…" T.K. started. Without a word, Ken ran for the door as Joe looked back at them. "You're an idiot, Tai!" And he ran after Ken.

"Ken!! Wait!" Joe called, but Ken was too fast for him and he didn't look back. "Ken! Stop!"

"Leave me alone!" Ken yelled. "You're going to hurt yourself!" Joe argued. "You are all the same! All of you are just a bunch of idiots!" A tear streaked down from Ken's eyes. Miraculously, Joe caught up with Ken. Or so… that's what he thought. It was the other way around; Ken was getting weaker and weaker by the minute.

Joe quickly grabbed Ken's arm and looked at him. "Ken! Listen to me! I know what you heard from Tai was a misunderstanding! I think-" "I don't want to hear it anymore!" Ken raged in anger. "Ken…"

"All of you see me as the Digimon Emperor! All of you see me as 'Ken the Genius' who never feels about anything! Well… all of you are **wrong**! Everybody has feelings!" Ken cried. "Ken…" Joe embraced him. "I want to die! I want to die! I WANT TO DIE!" Ken yelled at the top of his lungs.

And for some reason, what happened to him when he was still young… Happened to him again. His wish came true! His knees felt suddenly weak and he dropped on Joe's arms. "Ken! Ken!" Joe shook him madly. "Ken! Wake up! You mustn't die! You promised you would stay strong! Please hold on! I'll bring you to the hospital!" Joe said quickly. He noticed something weird in Ken that caught his attention.

_He's cold… He really **is** dying!_ "Somebody! Help!"

"Somebody!"

~ TBC ~


	5. A friend That's whom I need!

**Title:** Trust

**Author:** Klyukaizer

**Main Character:** Ken Ichijouji

**Genre(s):** Angst/Drama

**Summary: **I suck at summaries but here goes... The DDs sensed something strange about the Digimon Emperor… That's when they learned something shocking about Ken and they asked for the older DDs' help. Will they help Ken? Or will they still treat him with hate and disdain?

**Chapter 5- A friend... That's whom I need!**

"What happened to him?" Dr. Frank exclaimed. "He fainted by the road! I came as fast as I could!" Joe answered. "Bring him to the Operating Room!" Dr. Frank ordered.

"You're performing the operation now?" Joe half-shouted. "Yes! I just got an email from a friend in America! He said to eliminate the virus **immediately**!" Dr. Frank explained as he laid Ken on a stretcher and they both pushed it towards the operating room.

"How are you going to eliminate the virus without an appropriate cure?" Joe asked. "We have to examine the virus first and then, we eliminate it!"

"Examining it takes a lot of time! Eliminating it won't be that easy!" Joe argued. "Then what do you think shall we do? You're **just** a kid!" Dr. Frank scolded.

"I'm studying medicine as well, Dr. Frank! And I know what I learn!" Joe looked at him straight in the eye. " You mustn't give up! You must fight back! Ken and I have found a cure to it! And I'm sure he's ready! We must perform 'Hemisphere Actemy'!"

"Mr. and Mrs. Ichijouji, I'm glad you came here a.s.a.p!" Joe said as Ken's parents came. "Of course, we would!" Ken's mother panted. "He's our son!" "Where is Ken now?" His father asked.

"He's in the Operating Room right now!" Joe asked. "Operating Room? What do you mean?" Ken's mother exclaimed. "Dr. Frank said that they had to eliminate the virus immediately… so, they had to perform Hemisphere Actemy!" Joe sighed.

"Isn't that the operation where it would be removing the infected part of the brain?" Ken's father asked. "Yes… how did you know?" Joe asked.

"Ken mentioned something about that when he was by himself! Reading a lot of books! There was something strange about it so I listened to him reading about it!" Ken's father explained. Ken's mother began sobbing once again and Ken's father embraced her. _Please, Ken! Stay Alive!_ Joe thought.

_I don't know, Tai! I still don't trust him that much yet! -Matt_

_I didn't want to be his friend in the first place, Kari! –Cody_

_He is the bearer of Kindness and we need his power! If any of you don't want to be his friend, fine! We can just use him in battle! He can help us with his crest! No one can use it except him… -Tai_

**_You are all the same! All of you are just a bunch of idiots!_**

**_All of you see me as the Digimon Emperor! All of you see me as 'Ken the Genius' who never feels about anything! Well… all of you are WRONG! Everybody has feelings!_**

Ken's face appeared in the midst of darkness where only it can be seen. His hair covered his eyes and running tears caressed his cheeks. "I have never felt this sad before!" Ken thought spoke, his mouth not moving. "It hurts so much in my heart!"

 "Ken…" Joe suddenly said looking at the ceiling. "What is it?" Ken's father asked. "It's… it's nothing!" Joe lied as he gave them a fake smile.

"Joe!" Joe turned around and saw the other DDs running to him, Tai in the lead. "We came here as fast as we-" Joe didn't gave time for Tai to finish and he quickly punched him on the face. "Why did you come here, Tai?" Joe scolded.

"I-" "It's all because of people like **you** that made him this way!" Joe yelled in anger and received a few stares from the other people. "I thought you were a nice person, Yagami!" Joe was really angry since he used 'Yagami' to address Tai.

"It proves that we can never judge a book by its cover!" Joe mocked. "That goes the same way in Ken's situation!" he said as he approached the Operating Room's door. He peeked through the glass opening of the door and saw Ken sleeping on the bed while Dr. Frank performed the surgery together with a few nurses.

He heard someone slowly approach him and directly knew it was Kari. Who else would? "Joe-" "Leave me alone, Kari!" Joe snapped and Kari sighed and walked away.

_Ken… please keep your promise!_ Joe thought.

14 hours had passed and the operation was still going on… Izzy's mother came to visit and brought them some blankets and some food. The young DDs were fast asleep along with Sora while Matt, Tai and Izzy stayed up with Joe.

Suddenly, Dr. Frank came out and Joe went to him directly. "How is he, Dr. Frank?" he asked. "We ran into a few problems… but we quickly solved it!" Dr. Frank took out his gloves and rubbed his temples. "Is the operation over?" Joe asked. "Almost…" Dr. Frank said. "Don't worry he **will** live, if…" Dr. Frank said.

"If what?" Joe asked. "If he wants to… It's all up to him now!" Dr. Frank said and went back inside.

_Ken…_

**_"Joe… I don't want to go back anymore! I don't want to go back where there's pain, anger and deceit everywhere… I just want it all to end. I just want to DIE!"_**

_Ken?_

**_" I will ALWAYS be alone… I can never find a true friend… never…"_**

_Ken! Why are you saying that? You have Wormmon! You have-_

**_No… I DON'T have Wormmon… They killed him!_**

_You have me! I can be your friend!_

**_What do you mean 'I can be your friend'? Are you saying that you have never been my friend? Then that means you're like the others, Joe! I don't need a friend who hates me behind my back!_**

_No! That's not what I meant!_

**_Then tell me… what are you trying to say? MAKE me understand!_**

_I… I don't want to lose you, Ken! You have a special place in my heart! You will be always **be** in my heart!_

**_I… I know! If I disappear, promise me I will always stay in your heart! Cause I will if you want me to!_**

_No!! I want you to live! I want to **be** with you! You are an irreplaceable friend! Please Ken! Your parents… Wormmon… Please don't leave them!  They love you and they don't want to lose you!_

**_Joe…_**

_I… **I** love you… And I don't want to **lose** you too!_

**_… I'm sorry, Joe!_**__

"Ken!!" Joe shot awake on Sora's lap. "You're awake!" she smiled. "Have I fallen asleep?" Joe rubbed his eyes.

"Yeah…" Sora sighed. "Ken… where's Ken? Is he alright?" Joe panicked. Sora looked away and dropped her head as Joe stood up to see Ken's mother crying. No one else was there! Tai and the others are nowhere to be found except for Sora. He immediately glanced at the Operating Room.

_No… Ken, no way!_ Joe thought. He saw Dr. Frank come out of the Operating Room. "Dr. Frank, is he alright?" Joe asked. "Come and see for yourself!" Dr. Frank offered and Joe came inside the room.

His eyes widened when he saw Ken. No hair was left in his head; and his whole head was bandaged, some parts of his forehead had to be stitched up as he was peacefully sleeping.

~ TBC ~


	6. You kept your promise!

**Title:** Trust

**Author:** Klyukaizer

**Main Character:** Ken Ichijouji

**Genre(s):** Angst/Drama

**Summary: **I suck at summaries but here goes... The DDs sensed something strange about the Digimon Emperor… That's when they learned something shocking about Ken and they asked for the older DDs' help. Will they help Ken? Or will they still treat him with hate and disdain?

**Chapter 6- You kept your promise!**

"Ken…" Joe muttered as he sat beside him. "Don't worry, he's alive!" Dr. Frank smiled which cheered Joe up. "Thankfully, only ¼ of his right hemisphere was damaged! He might have difficulty in using his left parts but he'll get use to it!"

"Thank you, Dr. Frank!" Joe smiled. "Actually, it was because of you that gave me the determination to fight!" Dr. Frank said.

"Eh?"

_I'm studying medicine as well, Dr. Frank! And I know what I learn!_ ­_You mustn't give up! You must fight back! –Joe_

"You reminded me so much of my son! He always refuses to give up!" Dr. Frank said. "Where is he now?" Joe asked. "He died of the same disease Ken has right now!"

"What?" Joe exclaimed. "That's why I offered my help to the Ichijoujis! I wanted to help Ken like I haven't done with my son!" Dr. Frank explained. "I didn't like the idea of him losing half of his brain! I needed to find another answer… but it was too late! Now I know… This **was** the right thing to do!" Dr. Frank said.

"I… I don't know what to say!" Joe sighed sadly. "Say 'I will be a good doctor someday!'!" Dr. Frank said. " 'I will help people's lives and never give up!' "

"I will be a good doctor someday, I will help people's lives and never give up!" Joe repeated. "Good! Now let's bring him inside the ICU!" Dr. Frank said as Joe helped him push the stretcher out the OR.

"My son… My son is alive!" Ken's mother cried tremendously with tears of joy after knowing the truth. "Come on, we need to pay the Hospital bill!" Ken's father said. "Hai!" Joe wondered where the other DDs were so he asked Sora. "They said they'll be back in a few hours, they said they had someone to pick up for Ken."

"Eh? What do they mean by that?" Joe asked. "I don't know…" Sora lied. Deep inside she was laughing of how Joe can be so innocent sometimes to notice the obvious. "I'll be in Ken's room if they arrive, okay? I want to talk to Ken alone!" Joe said. "Okay!" Sora nodded.

Joe sat on a chair beside Ken's bed as he looked at Ken's sleeping body. _Ken… I'm so proud of you!_ Joe smiled as he stood up and gave a kiss on Ken's forehead. _I'm so glad you kept your promise!_

_If you feel like dying… struggle to be alive! Never give up! A lot of people will be sad when you are going to disappear! You mustn't give up! Stay strong!_

**_Stay strong… I promise I'll stay strong, Joe! I promise!_**

**_"I want to be alive again! I want to be alive for you! For Wormmon! For everybody who loves me! Please let me LIVE!"_**

Ken's eyes fluttered open as he looked around the room. He was in a comfy bed and he felt his head a little lighter than usual. "Where… where am I?" he began. He was about to sit up when he felt something heavy on his palms. "Joe…" he muttered softly looking at Joe sleeping. _He was always here… He never left me…_ Ken felt like crying but Joe started to wake up. "Ken…" Joe looked at him.

"Joe… I-"

"Ken!!" Joe quickly embraced Ken tightly as Ken's eyes widened with shock. "You kept your promise! I'm so glad you kept your promise!" Joe repeated. "Joe…" Ken cried as he hugged back.

"Ken!" Ken's mother came in followed by his father. "Mama! Papa!" Ken called as they shared warm embraces. "I'm so glad you're alive, my son!" Ken's father said. "Thank you, Mama, Papa!" Ken smiled as he looked at Joe. _Thank you, Joe!_

"Ken!"

"Wormmon!" Ken called as Wormmon jumped to his arms. "Wormmon… how-"

"He never died in the first place, Ken!" Kari said. "He was only sent to Primary Village… that's where all the Digimons go when they die… they go back to their In-training form!" T.K. explained.

"Thank you…" Ken paused. "For bringing Wormmon back!" Ken felt someone touch his shoulder as he looked up at Tai. He felt scared something might happen but he still kept his confidence with him. "This…" Tai began as he handed something to Ken. "…Is yours!" Ken's eyes widened with glee.

"The Crest of Kindness!" Ken exclaimed. "You are the bearer of Kindness and it is yours… I'm very sorry I used you as a tool! I have misjudged you tremendously and I don't know how to ask for forgivene-"

"Apology accepted!" Ken interrupted as he smiled, looking at his crest. "This proves that I am one of you… right?" he smiled. Everyone nodded, even Cody. Ken noticed that and motioned Cody to come closer, which Cody did.

Ken gave out a handshake, which Cody took. After shaking hands with Ken, Cody gave Ken a big hug. "I'm sorry, Ken!" Cody mumbled. "It's okay, Cody!"

"Hey, Ken! How does it feel having only ¾ of your brain?" Davis asked tactlessly again and was shoved by Yolei again. "Well… it feels weird! I can here squishy sounds when I jerk my head!" Ken giggled. "Do you think you can still manage your studies?" Izzy asked. "I'll try…"

** ~ Joe's Journal (J.J.) ~**

Hey JJ!

It's Joe! Everything turned out well for everyone! Tai apologized to me about using Ken. "You should apologize Ken, not me!" I told him over and over and over again, but he **won't** listen! It took Ken 2 months to go back to school and miraculously… he is **still **on top! He's not in first place anymore but we are still proud of him!

He's still in the soccer team and it seems that "the Rocket" is still "the Rocket"! Almost all of his classmates knew of this and he was still famous… everything turned out to be all right!

Ken said he'd be joining the programming contest again to win some money for the loss of his family's savings for his operation. He said it's the least he could do for his parents. He's having a happy and normal life now! No one treated him differently anymore… 

-Joe

Joe closed his laptop as he sipped his cappuccino. "Joe!!" Someone called from ahead of him. He looked up and saw Ken waving at him; Ken already had some hair (similar to Izzy's) and Joe smiled and waved back at him. "Ken!"

~ END ~

**Klyukaizer:** Did everyone like it? I hope you did! This story is actually a fan fiction of 2 categories: Digimon 02 and Ripley's Believe it or Not! The same thing happened to Christina about having half a brain and was still on the top roll. The same goes for the "Hemisphere Actemy"!

Well, I hope everyone enjoyed it! Sayonara!


End file.
